The Walmart Retail Associate Assessment (RAA), often referred to simply as the Walmart assessment test, is the primary challenge to getting hired by Walmart. It is used to screen candidates for most of Walmart's hourly positions, such as cashier, front end, order filler, personal shopper, etc.
Although Walmart will allow you to take the assessment immediately, it is crucial that you do not jump straight into the assessment, and take a while to practice beforehand. Three main reasons:
So, hang in there while we go through a more professional overview of each of the 4 sections of the test, and what answers Walmart expects to get.
24 hour
customer service
MONEY-BACK
Guarantee
Secure
Payment
We rely on customer feedback to ensure our PrepPacks stay accurate and suited to match test-taker needs. Do you have questions regarding which PrepPack is best for you? Can't find the PrepPack you're looking for? Let us help! Reach out at info@jobtestprep.com.
The Walmart assessment test is another name given to Walmart's most popular current assessment – the Hourly Retail Associate Assessment, which Walmart uses to screen candidates for hourly positions.
Now, I know that some past Walmart candidates have put up YouTube videos with the exact answers they gave to all of Walmart's questions. Although these videos give an invaluable glimpse into the actual test, you should be very careful when following their advice:
Remember that once you fail, you will not be able to retest in six months (!)
Looking for a different Walmart test? such as the Walmart Maintenance Test for general technicians, the Teaming Employment Assessment (TEA) for team leads, and the Manager Employment Assessment (MEA) for management.
Other major multinational companies: Amazon | Microsoft | Procter & Gamble
The test contains four sections, which are a mix of personality, situational judgment, and math assessments:
Work with Customers/Members and Associates
Respond in the best way to everyday scenarios you might encounter while working at Walmart.
Handle Customer/Member Transactions
An interactive assessment. Give the correct change to a customer as quickly as possible.
General questions about your background and experience. Might seem like a no-brainer, but your answers in this section are just as important, as they show Walmart what kind of a person and employee you are.
Contains questions about your personality. The best answers depict you as the ideal employee Walmart wants in the position you chose.
Let's move on to talk about the specifics of the Walmart Assessment Test, with some practical examples.
This section is essentially a Situational Judgment Test (SJT). Walmart will provide you with a variety of situations that you could encounter as a Retail Associate. Then, you’ll need to choose how you respond to each scenario.
Here’s a sample question from our complete Walmart RAA practice to give you a feel for the real thing:
You are serving a customer at the store when your colleague interrupts and says that a customer is on the phone asking to speak with you specifically. What would be the least effective response to this situation?
How to Answer This Question
Least effective response: D
Subject: Conflict between two customers
Competencies: Prioritizing, critical thinking, service orientation
Explanation
In this scenario, you have a conflict between the need to serve two customers.
In response A, you ignore the customer request by phone to speak to you specifically. This is not a good response, although both customers are served.
In response B, both customers are serviced, and you respond to the customer’s request to speak to you personally. However, you are thus forced to stop servicing the customer you are currently with. Nevertheless, this is better than answer choice A since the customer in the store did not ask for you personally.
Answer choice C balances the two needs – you give the calling customer your personal attention and let them know that you will contact them. You also don’t leave the customer in the store.
Answer D tries to create this balance; however, the customer in the store is kept waiting for the entire duration of the conversation. This is the least efficient response, as by trying to serve them both at the same time you neglect the customer in the store. It is better to leave this customer with a colleague than keep them waiting.
In this section, you’ll get to use a cash drawer to handle a few transactions. Being able to handle cash accurately is critical when you work at a Walmart store.
Walmart specifically states that the less time this section takes you, the better. So, try to solve the questions quickly while staying accurate.
The following is a sample question that closely resembles questions you’ll encounter on the real assessment:
Use the fewest number of bills and coins possible to make the exact change.
Total amount: $53.82
Amount paid: $60.25
Change due: $6.43
How to Answer This Question
The smallest number of bills and coins needed to reach the correct change of $6.43 is one $5 bill and one $1 bill to reach $6. Add to this one of each type of coin except cents ($0.01), of which you need three, and you get the correct change of $6.43.
$5 × 1 + $1 × 1 + $0.25 × 1 + $0.10 × 1 + $0.05 × 1 + $0.01 × 3 = $6.43
This section is a biodata questionnaire, in which you’ll share your background and work experience. If you don’t have previous work experience, you can share academic and extracurricular activities.
Now, this might seem like a harmless and generic survey, but don’t let that fool you. Walmart uses it as an additional screening tool, so every answer matters.
If contacted, how would your recent supervisor describe your customer service skills compared to other team members?
A Useful Tip
It is important to be consistent with your answers and your CV.
Different questions can evaluate the same information. Your personality profile has to make sense. You must make sure to avoid contradictions in your test answers.
These questions are far from being technical and straightforward. You need to know what stands behind them to get it right.
That is why we’ve created a dedicated study guide for this type of biodata questionnaire, to help successfully Pass it. Make sure you check it out before you start the assessment!
This is a 27-question personality test designed to assess your preferred work style and suitability for the job you applied to.
As you answer each question, think of work situations and not your personal life. Also, try to stay very consistent throughout your answers, as some questions may ask the same thing but in a different disguise.
Walmart states that you should work quickly and not spend too long on any questions. This suggests they may flag candidates who stall too long on certain questions.
Take a look at this sample question for better understanding:
Please indicate to which extent you agree or disagree with the following statement.
a) I enjoy theoretical discussions and thinking about abstract concepts.
b) Thinking too hard about a problem frustrates me.
The answer to such a question greatly depends on the position you apply to.
For instance, if you apply to an administrative position, Walmart will expect you to have high boredom intolerance, indicated by statement (b).
That is because most clerical work is routine. Tasks require adherence to a company’s provisions and protocols, as well as a lot of paperwork. The job requires a great deal of concentration over time and the ability to meet objectives. It is therefore advisable to emphasize features such as: Perseverance, Thoroughness, and Good Organization. It is also essential to show you have no problem with routine work, so you should get a low score on the Boredom Intolerance trait.
On the other hand, you are not expected to easily create relationships (indicated by statement (a), as a customer service rep would.
A Useful Tip
Want to get a feeling for the Walmart Assessment Test? Try this 9-question free practice test:
In our complete prep kit, you’ll find thorough practice for this personality test, as well as exclusive study guides to ensure you beat it.
Walmart’s assessment is not just a pass/fail test.
The Hourly Retail Associate Assessment has four "behind-the-scenes" score bands that are known only to HR and management (and now to you): Poor, Good, Competitive, and Excellent.
Now, Walmart has a stone-cold hiring policy when it comes to their job assessments:
If you score poorly on ANY of the four sections, you will fail the whole assessment. Just like that. And once you fail, you have to wait n additional 6 months to retake it.
And the worst part?
Walmart’s hiring platform might show you that you’ve passed the assessment when in reality you haven’t.
In fact, I’ve seen dozens of applicants who thought they passed and waited forever to get a call to schedule an interview, but the call never came! They realized their failure only after that they scored poorly on one of the sections, and therefore, weren’t invited.
That said, there’s a way to ensure this misfortune won’t happen to you too. And it’s by scoring as high as possible on each and every test section.
The ultimate and science-backed way to ace an assessment test is to know exactly what to expect and prep for beforehand.
If you know what’s coming and how to easily handle it, nothing can catch you by surprise.
That’s why our test experts worked hard to create a realistic practice pack to prep you for each section of the assessment.
In fact, it’s the only accurate online preparation for the Hourly Retail Associate Assessment (and it’s updated for 2024).
It includes:
Get the Complete Walmart Retail Associate Assessment Practice (2024)
Gain instant, 1-week access to the most accurate Walmart assessment test prep on the web, pass the test with a high score, and land your desired Walmart job.
Freda B., applied to a pharmacy technician position in Walmart, LA
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐As mentioned above, even if Walmart’s hiring platform says you’ve passed, it’s still possible that you’ve failed it.
So, if you see that no one is calling you to schedule an interview for several days, call HR or the manager of the store you applied to.
They have the “back-end” results of your assessment and will be able to tell you if you passed it.
Usually, if you score high on all sections, you’ll get a call soon enough. Then, you’ll be invited for an in-store interview with the hiring team and your future managers.
To make sure you land this interview, follow these prep tips directly from Walmart.
If you aim to get a job at Walmart, it is crucial that you set aside some time to prepare for their assessments. Don’t be tempted to take them straight away (as you will be redirected to the test immediately after you apply).
Make sure you know what Walmart expects to see from you in lieu of the position you want and that you know how to approach each of the four sections.
Interested in applying to other companies? Check out our Home Depot Interview and Test Prep.
Since 1992, JobTestPrep has stood for true-to-original online test and assessment centre preparation. Our decades of experience make us a leading international provider of test training. Over one million customers have already used our products to prepare professionally for their recruitment tests.